LinkedIn Strategy #3: Keywords

By Karen Emanuelson

Keywords linked to LinkedIn success

Recently, I received a phone call from a local HR rep asking me to interview for a position — a position that paid $100K. I hadn’t applied and, at the time, I wasn’t even looking for a job! Turns out, the HR rep plugged a few keywords into LinkedIn’s search function and my profile came to the top! It wasn’t a good fit, but the moral of the story is that people are using LinkedIn to research and find potential employees and potential business partners based on words used in their profiles.

Problem Solver with Extensive Experience as a Results-Oriented, Innovative, Motivated Team Player. Proven Track Record in a Dynamic, Fast-Paced Entrepreneurial Environment

Unfortunately, this is about 50 characters too long to fit in the 120-character limit of a LinkedIn professional headline, but imagine what could happen if your professional headline included keywords that are actually being used to find people, products and services in your industry. These are the same keywords that are used in Google, Yahoo, and Bing searches everyday.

In addition to using keywords in your LinkedIn professional headline, Summary and Specialties and Employment title and descriptions, use these keywords throughout your website and online directory listings for even more impact.